There are two words that have never been used to describe me: athletic or outdoorsy. This is so patently obvious to those who know me that I can’t think of a way to stress how ridiculous my traipsing off to Idaho must seem. It is crazy. I’m the girl who has never worn sports shorts in her life, now I own enough to get me through a week easily. I’ve stocked up on sports bras and flannel and even considered buying chacos. I’m going to spend a summer without books or K Dramas or Facebook messenger. It is insanity!

And yet…I’m excited. This is so not me that it is going to be a crazy, new adventure. I’m going to face my fears, be separated from my comforts, and hopefully grow in my walk with God. I’m going to learn new skills. For three months, I get to step away from everything and try something different.

At the risk of sounding cliche, I’m also excited to find a new side of myself. I’ve been defined by my job for so long that I looking forward to discovering who else I can be. Who is Amy when you stick her 45 minutes from civilization and throw a cabin full of kids at her? My hope is that she will be someone who learns to live more fully in the present.

Am I slightly terrified beginning this new adventure? Definitely. But I am also super excited. It isn’t quite backpacking across the Himalayas, but camp in Idaho for the summer is going to be a really fun, challenging experience.

I promised y’all a few more thoughts on my Airbnb experience so I’ll try and pull some together. My flight got in super late last night and I’m on benadryl for my allergies so I’m not sure how coherent this will be!

For those of you not familiar with Airbnb, this is what it says on their website:

Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone or tablet.

Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

Basically, people rent spare rooms, houses, etc. I rented a room in Lexington, VA. I had a really positive experience. It was super easy to find the place and my host was communicative and helpful. He had lots of tips for places to see and provided a map of the area. It was a little strange staying in someone else’s house, but I think I would do it again.

The only thing that marred my visit was that I wasn’t able to figure out how social I should be. I know that might sound weird and it is probably different for every situation, but I felt antisocial staying in my room basically from the moment I arrived to when I left in the morning. However, despite feeling antisocial, I felt even less like socializing! I’d traveled all day. So to talk? Or to avoid? That was the question. I ended up avoiding and then felt slightly guilty for doing that!

Today was very…long. I toured a law school, drove for over 3 hours in pouring rain, and attended a friend’s wedding rehearsal. I know there are many stories to be told but I can’t seem to focus on any of them. I am so sleepy!

My Air BnB experience was fun but I am glad to be in a hotel room right now where I don’t have to worry about social nuances…like whether or not it is rude to not socialize with my host. I assume it differs in each situation but…

Today I did something new and extremely intimidating. I rented a car. I have had a rental car for work before but have never rented one for private use. I was so nervous of something happening I drove like a Grandma for the three hour trip from the airport to Lexington, VA.

No seriously, I added 30 minutes to my trip driving here.

Getting the rental car took way longer than I expected but they didn’t charge me for being under 25…so that is a perk.

I am at an Air BnB right now which is so far a pleasant experience. My host has been very kind. I will provide more thoughts once this trip is over. Tomorrow I am touring Washington and Lee’s Law School!

I had Indian and Mexican this week…and today Rina and I got Korean! I love traveling. It is an excuse to eat good (if totally unrelated to where I am visiting) food.

Headed home today 😦 It has been a fun vacation! I have such awesome friends. I appreciate that we can go years without seeing each other and still be best buds when together again. Also I like that we eat my favorite foods. ❤️